Screw starter



Jupe 30, 1953l s. MA-rovlcl-l Y SCREW STARTER Filed D60. 18, 1950 IN1/mum Steve Mdtovzch.

HIS ATTRNEY.

'Patented .I une 30,l 1953 UNITED STATES- PATENT FFICE SCREW STARTER Steve Matovich, Campbell, Calif.

Application December 18, 1950, Serial No. 201,312

3 Claims.

a simple hand tool for receiving and holding a' screw rearwardly of a screw centering guide mouth adapted for placement in an aperture which is to receive the screw.

Another object is to provide in a screw starter a guide mouth so constructed as to facilitate insertion and removal of a screw into and from the screw starter in a novel manner.

Another object is to provide in a screw starting tool a novel screw centering mouth con guration for quick loading and discharging of a screw into and from the screw holding barrel of such tool.

These and other objects and advantages will become apparent in the following description in view of the drawings in which:

Fig. l is a perspective View of a screw starting tool embodying the present invention.

Fig. 2 is -an enlarged longitudinal section of the tool shown in Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a section similar to that of Fig. 2 with certain parts thereof in a different position.

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary perspective view of the loading and discharge mouth of the tool shown in Figs. 1, 2 and 3.

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary section comparable to those shown in Figs. 2 and 3 but showing a modification in the structure thereof.

The tool embodying the present invention, generally designated I@ in the drawings, comprises a sleevelike casing II having a plunger I2 arranged therein for guided movement axially thereof. The sleeve casing II also houses a compression spring I3 which circumscribes the plunger I2. One end I4 of the spring I3 engages a fixed abutment l5 provided within the casing II and the opposite end I6 of spring I3 engages a projection il on the plunger I2 for maintaining the fore end I8 of the plunger I2 in retracted position.

As best seen in Figs. 2 and 3 the projection l1 on the plunger comprises an expansion ring or collar I9 which engages a cap 2@ secured to the aft end 2I of the sleeve casing II by suitable threading or the like. In this manner the aft end of the plunger I2 is maintained in extended position relative to the casing. The aft end of the plunger is preferably provided with an enlarged head 22 disposed a distance from the projection Il determined 'by the length of stroke desired for the plunger relative to the casing. The head 22 and the projection II thus provide means for limiting movement of the plunger I2 between fully retracted position (Fig. 3) and extreme depressed position (Fig. 2).

The aforementioned fixed abutment I5 provided within the casing II comprises a removable baie 23, Figs. l and 2, or if desired can be formed as a shoulder 23 afforded by a reduced passage 2li formed in the fore portion 25 of the casing. For all purposes the baie type abutment 23 is preferred since it enables installation of a plunger of increased or decreased diameter if required for larger or smaller screws, respectively.

The fore end 26 of the plunger I2 has an axial bore 2'! threaded to receive a threaded stud 28 formed integrally of a permanent magnet tip 29. This connection 30 between the tip 29 and fore end 25 of the plunger can be accomplished by the shrinkage method or by a press-fit if desired. However, by making the connection 3D in a manner conducive to removability, the magnet tip 29 can be removed and replaced when its magnetic strength is dissipated. Moreover, if a tip of different size or shape is requiredfor different sized or shaped heads of screws, the change can be readily accomplished with the threaded type connection shown.

In connection with the foregoing change of size of magnetic tip the fore portion 25 of the casing must also 'be changed to provide one of a diameter suitable for the particular size tip 29 required. Consequently, the casing II is built in two sections, fore and aft, coupled together as at 3l by inner and outer threading provided on their respective adjoining ends. Thus the coupling 3| provides a mode of securing the bailie type abutment 23 in place with its open center 32 aligned with the axis of the plunger I2.

The fore portion 25 of the casing II ahead of the magnetic tip 29 provides a barrel 33 adapted to hold a screw S. The open end of portion 25 is formed to provide a quick loading, screw centering discharge mouth 35. This mouth is congurated to taper toward the axis A of the casing, plunger and magnetic tip to receive the shank of a screw for maintaining the shank -sin substantial axial alignment with the axis -A-. One side wall of the mouth 35 is provided with a shank receiving slot 36 extending lengthwise the barrel 33, i. e. parallel to the axis -A- thereof. The slot 36 terminates in and merges with a head receiving slot 3l formed transversely of the barrel 33. In other words, the head receiving slot 3l extends from above radially into the barrel 33 to form two U shaped slots 31 and 38 in the respective side walls of the barrel with the bight portion of each such U substantially diametrically opposite each other transversely of the cylindrical bar rel 33.

From the foregoing and in Fig. 4 it will be seen that a T shaped slot -T- is formed in conjunction with the tapered mouth 35 and that the extreme end 39 of the mouth is formed to provide a trough 4Q axially aligned with the barrel 33 and casing II. As is illustrated in Fig. 4 the T slot affords reception of the enlarged head -I-I- of the screw -S- as well as the shank -sthereof. The trough 40 aligns the shank s with the barrel 33 so that when the screw is released it will be attracted into the barrel by the magnetic tip 29 on the plunger I2. Thus the tool IE) is loaded and ready to set the screw in the desired position.

Most generally it is desired to set a screw into the apertures in a piece of hardware to be secured in place on a wall, door buck, or some such surface. For purposes of illustration a hinge -hhas been shown in phantom in connection with the perspective view constituting Fig. l. Each wing -wof the hinge is provided with apertures -awhich usually are of the countersunk type. For this reason the extreme end 39 of the mouth 35 is ground to provide a beveled or partially frusto-conical surface 4I similar to that of a countersunk type head of a screw. This beveled surface 4I serves to align the barrel 33 properly with the aperture -a-, it being the i.

usual procedure to lay the surface 4I onto the lower rim of an aperture -aand then raise the barrel and casing into a position perpendicular to the surface about to receive the screw.

The tool casing II is held in one hand while the other hand is used to drive the plunger I2 forward preferably by tapping the head 22 of the plunger with a hammer. In connection with the foregoing the casing II is stationary, its beveled fore end (surface 4I) being seated against the rim around an aperture zz- Consequently, when the head 22 is forced forward by the blow of a hammer, plunger I2 is moved forward relative to the casing and against the action of the spring I3 between them. The screw -S- which is firmly held by the magnetic tip 29 of the plunger is guided through the trough Ml and into the surface behind the wing -waxially with respect to the aperture -a-.

In accordance with the foregoing the rst few convolutions of threading on the screw shank -swill be embedded into the surface receiving the screw suicient to hold the latter securely in place. Now theny to release the screw S- from the barrel the casing II is withdrawn until the transverse slot 3l' registers with the head II of the Screw whereupon the entire tool is dropped, i. e., moved downwardly.

This tool enables a workman to handle and set more screws per minute than is possible by hand. Screws used in securing cupboard hinges and like hardware are small and therefore notoriously diilicult to handle, especially when ones fingers are rough and calloused as are those of carpenters. With the present tool the screws are merely placed into the T slotted mouth 35 of the barrel after which the tool manipulates the screw. Since the tip 23 is magnetized the screw is held in the barrel despite gravity and therefore will not fall from the barrel. However, upon proper placement of the screw into a Wooden or like surface the magnetic forces of the tip are overcome and the tool readily withdrawn from the head of the screw. As a matter of fact expansion of the spring I3 causes the plunger I2 to be Withdrawn relative to the casing and thus the magnetic tip 29 is separated from the screw embedded in the manner explained.

While the description of a screw starting tool embodying the present invention has been given in specific detail it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that modifications, alterations and/or variations of it can be made without departing from the spirit of my invention. I therefore desire to avail myself of all modifications, alteratiens and variations as fairly come within the scope of the appended claims.

What I claim as new and desire to protect by Letters Patent is:

1. In a screw starter having a plunger provided with a magnetic tip and guided for movement axially of a housing together with spring means for normally holding said plunger in retracted position with its tip confined within a forward barrel end of .said casing; a screw re- -ceiving and guiding discharge mouth for said barrel end of said casing comprising a tapered Y troughlike tip thereon of U shaped cross section,

said tip having a T slot formed therein with the stem of the T coinciding with the open side of the U shaped trough and the crosshead of the T cut into the side walls of said tip to a point diametrically across said barrel end of said casing and transversely of the stem of said T slot to thereby receive the enlarged head of a screw and support theV shank thereof axially of said barrel incident to attraction of said screw by the magnetic tip of said plunger, and a beveled surface on the extreme fore edge of said tapered tip adapted to conform to and fit concentrically into a countersunk aperture for axially aligning said barrel and plunger therewith.

2. In a screw starter having a plunger provided with a magnetic tip and guided for movement axially of a housing together with spring means for normally holding said plunger in retracted position with its tip confined within a forward barrel end of said casing; a screw receiving and guiding discharge mouth for said barrel end of said casing comprising a tapered trough-like tip thereon of U shaped cross section, said tip having a T slot formed therein with the stem of the T coinciding with the open side of the U shaped trough and the crosshead of the T cut into the side walls of said tip to a point diametrically across said barrel end of said casing and transversely of the stem of said T slot to thereby receive the enlarged head of a screw and support the shank thereof axially of said barrel incident to attraction of said screw by the magnetic tip of said plunger, and a frusto conical surface at the bight side of said U shaped trough conforming to the frusto conical surface bordering a countersunk hole for aligning the shank of a screw axially therewith.

3. In a screw starter having a plunger guided for axial movement through a sleevelike casing and spring means normally maintaining said plunger in retracted position with its magnetic tip conined within the foreward barrel portion of said casing; a screw receiving and guiding means at the open forward end of said barrel portion comprising a tapering end formed on said barrel having a T shaped slot extending radially through one side thereof with the stem of the T shaped slot extending'parallel to the axis of said plunger and casing and the crosshead of the T shaped slot extending transversely of said axis to receive the enlarged head of a screw and maintain the shank thereof in axial alignment with said plunger incident to the tip of the latter magnetically attracting said screw, the extreme fore edge of said tapering end of said barrel being beveled to conform to 'the shape of a countersunk aperture for facilitating placement 15 STEVE MATOVICH.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Number Name Date Boeklen Dec. 12, 1893 Clark June 11, 1895 Parks May 25, 1915 Kietlinski Feb. 12J 1918 Shafer Dec. 24, 1918s Cullen Aug. 20, 1940 FOREIGN PATENTS Country Date Great Britain Apr. 14, 1891 Great Britain Oct. 20, 1921 

